In a move to address concerns over rushed federal spending, Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is set to confront Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo over her reported plan to exhaust the remaining CHIPS and Science Act funds before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office in January. Ernst, a prominent member of the Senate and leader of the DOGE Caucus, is demanding immediate action to halt what she characterizes as “binge-buying shopping sprees” by bureaucrats.
Ernst’s Letter to Raimondo: A Call for Accountability
In a letter to be delivered to Raimondo on Wednesday, Ernst writes, “Your recent mandate to the Department of Commerce staff to work overtime—including weekends—spending billions of dollars in funding provided by the CHIPS and Science Act as quickly as possible before President-elect Trump takes office in January is extremely concerning.”
She further critiques Raimondo’s remarks to Politico, where the Commerce Secretary stated she aimed to have “almost all of the money obligated” from the CHIPS Act, a major initiative under the Biden administration, before the transition. Ernst called on Raimondo to immediately cease last-minute spending plans, emphasizing the need for transparency and oversight.
The Stakes of the CHIPS Act
The CHIPS and Science Act, signed into law in 2022, earmarked $52 billion to revitalize domestic semiconductor manufacturing, research, and related projects. The law has been a cornerstone of President Biden’s economic strategy to strengthen U.S. competitiveness and secure critical supply chains.
In her letter, Ernst acknowledges the importance of the CHIPS Act for national security and economic stability but underscores that the success of these initiatives depends on deliberate planning and execution. She expressed skepticism that the final rounds of spending will receive the same scrutiny as earlier expenditures.
“Shoveling out heaps of taxpayer dollars as fast as possible, with little to no oversight, is part of the reason the United States government is nearly $36 trillion in debt today,” Ernst warned.
Concerns Over Oversight and Rushed Spending
Ernst cited past examples of government waste, including reports that nearly $280 billion in COVID-19 response funding was either wasted or subject to fraud. She argued that this pattern of unmonitored spending threatens to undermine the effectiveness of initiatives like the CHIPS Act.
“With $25 billion of the $53 billion in available appropriations already earmarked, it’s difficult to believe the same level of oversight will be given to the remaining funds,” Ernst wrote. She requested detailed information from Raimondo, including:
- The total number of ongoing negotiations between Commerce and CHIPS Act fund applicants.
- The planned duration of CHIPS-funded projects.
- The amount of CHIPS Act money spent before and after Trump’s election win.
- Details on how Commerce is coordinating with the Trump transition team.
Criticism of Rushed Bureaucratic Spending
In exclusive comments to Fox News Digital, Ernst criticized what she described as a spending spree by the Biden administration. “Black Friday might have come-and-gone, but the Biden administration is on a spending spree, convinced every tax dollar must go,” Ernst said. “We’ve never seen bureaucrats work this hard, and you can be sure they made a list and aren’t checking it twice to find out who is naughty and nice.”
Ernst also noted that Commerce Department officials working overtime to allocate funds “underscores the need for DOGE to shake up Washington and bring some much-needed Iowa common sense to the capital.”
Transition and Future Oversight
President-elect Trump has selected Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, to succeed Raimondo as Commerce Secretary. Ernst is pressing Raimondo to provide full transparency regarding the department’s remaining CHIPS Act obligations before the new administration takes office.
In response to the controversy, Raimondo defended her department’s actions in a recent interview, stating, “This was the plan we were on all along to complete this mission. I don’t worry terribly about any of the CHIPS money being rolled back… everything we’ve done and are doing is bipartisan.”
As the clock ticks toward the presidential transition, Ernst’s demands reflect broader concerns about ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent judiciously, particularly on initiatives critical to national security and economic resilience.
Sources:
- Politico: Commerce Secretary Raimondo’s Interview
- Fox News: Exclusive Comments from Senator Joni Ernst
- CHIPS Act Details: U.S. Department of Commerce
